Training & Development of Fire & Rescue Staff Dissertation

Training & Development of Fire & Rescue Staff - Dissertation Example This proves that training evaluation can be influenced by training content and design, observable changes in learners, as well as transfer climate, job performance and end results. As organizations must make sure that their programmes and activities for training are consistent to their requirements, it is of great importance that they carry out a comprehensive assessment of training needs that will identify the job tasks for which training and development is needed. Consequently, they will be able to develop training plans for carrying out the necessary training. Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 4 Research Aims 6 Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature 7 Skills for Justice: An Overview 7 Training Needs Assessment 8 Application of Training 10 Training Evaluation and Effectiveness 12 Training and Motivation 16 Conclusion 18 Chapter 3 Methodology 13 Research Approach 19 Research Design 21 Data Gathering Procedures 21 Ethical Considerations 22 Conclusion 22 Chapter 4 Results and D iscussion 24 Learner Readiness 24 Motivation to Transfer 25 Positive and Negative Personal Outcomes 25 Personal Capacity for Transfer 26 Peer Support 26 Supervisory Support and Sanctions 27 Perceived Content Validity 27 Transfer Design 28 Opportunity to Use 28 Transfer Effort-Performance Expectations 29 Resistance/Openness to Change 29 Performance Self-Efficacy 30 Performance Coaching 30 Analysis 31 Chapter 5 Conclusions and Recommendations 33 Conclusion 33 Recommendations 34 References 35 Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction The significance of providing opportunities for training and development for public sector workers is evident through the implementation of different policies as well as the substantial amount of money that the government invests. For an effective and valuable training system to be provided, its effectiveness should be measured as well (Moats, Chermak, and Dooley 2008). Due to financial constraints, agencies and organisations cannot afford the provision of train ing which are not assessed for its importance or contribution to the accomplishment of organisational goals. Training and development should always be congruent with the organisational mission to achieve long-term objectives (Brinkerhoff 2005). Effectiveness is the main component for training and development in any organisation as it allows workers to acquire and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully perform their tasks. For organisations to initiate efficient training for their workers, it is necessary that such systems are evaluated to determine whether these are consistent with the organisation’s overall strategy; moreover, examining the processes and decisions made to ensure the effectiveness of training is also of great importance (Mitroff 2005). Organisations in the public sector have also spent a considerable amount of money to generate a knowledge-based workforce that can be capable of providing efficient services that the community expects. At pr esent, however, numerous complaints and issues have been aimed toward the public sector’s inefficiency in delivering such services. Hence, the current study focuses on the training programmes of the fire and rescue services and how such activities can create

To What Extent does Asymmetrical Warfare Challenge American Power Essay

To What Extent does Asymmetrical Warfare Challenge American Power (with Some Reference to the War in Afghanistan) - Essay Example One author notes â€Å"Strategists define asymmetric warfare as conflict deviating from the norm or an indirect approach to effect a counter-balancing of force† (Grange, p. 1). A retired serving officer on the other hand notes that â€Å"Judging by the multiple applications of the term [Asymmetry] in military journals, - -‘not fighting fair,’ ‘attacking a weak point,’ ‘information or cyber-war,’ ‘public relations war,’ ‘weapons of mass distraction,’ - very few people understand asymmetry’s formal definition† (Thomas, 2001, p. 32) This differs quite significantly from Thomas’s more practical definition: â€Å"Asymmetry is a matter of two unlike systems interacting, each within its capabilities† (Thomas, 2001, p. 37). Perhaps the most memorable way of describing what it is like to fight an asymmetric war is given by Thomas as follows in relation to disastrous American involvement in Soma lia: â€Å"The problem was about ‘apples’ attending an ‘oranges’ event: any hardware-only solution suggests asymmetric vulnerability† (Thomas, 2001, p. 34). ... 225). Bipolarity has the advantage of being evenly balanced. Attention was focused on one major point of friction, namely the ideological gulf between the two main opponents with clear lines drawn up and bystanders encouraged to take up a position on one side or the other. In the absence of Cold War bipolarity, everything takes on a much more complicated turn, and potential areas for conflict spring up in multiple directions. This creates ambiguity and confusion, and the potential for crisis is multiplied. In the short term this situation appears to be working in America’s favor, but it is likely that over time the forces in the world which oppose American values and policies will regroup, so that one or more new super-powers will emerge. China is an obvious candidate for this role, but there are flashpoints in the Islamic world and in Africa which could lead to new geopolitical alliances forming which could threaten America’s supremacy. The work of Joseph Nye on the wa y that America’s role in the world is changing has done much to explain what the implications are of geo-political shifts that leave America isolated as the only remaining superpower. For Nye, this power has three major forms, namely military, economic and â€Å"soft power†, which he defines as â€Å"the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments† (Nye, 2004, p. 256). American economic dominance on the world markets is one of the ways that soft power works, since cultural artefacts, ideas and ways of doing business travel the globe and create linkages between many other cultures and the American world view. Participation in